COVID-19 lands at Nagaland, Meghalaya
Source: The Sangai Express
Dpr/Shillong, April 14 2020:
Nagaland and Meghalaya have joined the COVID-19 map with both States reporting one positive case each in the last 48 hours.
This leaves Sikkim as the only State in the North East not to be affected by the coronavirus.
News18 reported that a man from Nagaland has tested positive for novel coronavirus, the first case reported from the State, an official said on Monday.
The man with corona-virus-like symptoms was admitted to a hospital in Assam's Guwahati, where he tested positive for COVID-19, the official said.
Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also tweeted that a private hospital in Dimapur referred a patient to the Guwahati Medical College Hospital after he was found with symptoms of COVID-19 .
He has tested positive and is undergoing treatment.
The patient is not linked to the Tablighi Jamaat event at Nizamuddin in New Delhi, Sarma said.
Meanwhile, the Nagaland Government has sealed various locations in Kohima, including the patient's residential area and the hospital where he was initially admitted, the official said.
Shillong Times reports that despite all the precautions and sealing of inter-State border, the contagious COVID-19 has finally found its way to Shillong as a doctor in Bethany Hospital, Nongrim Hills was tested positive with the infection on Monday.
This is the first COVID-19 positive case in the State.
Health and Family Welfare Minister AL Hek said the matter has been discussed with the Chief Minister and he has already directed the Commissioner and Secretary, Health Department to ensure that no patient from the hospital, where the doctor was functioning, exits the premises.
"The hospital itself will now be turned into a quarantine camp and the entire hospital staff, family members of the doctor and even the attendants who visited the hospital will be tested," Hek said.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said that it has come as a surprise for the Government.
Admitting that it is a challenge, he added that the Government is fully prepared.
The Chief Minister said Bethany hospitals in Shillong and Nongpoh have been closed and quarantined even as he added after contact tracing, the Government will trace all primary and secondary contacts and all will be tested.
Asking people not to panic, he added that the Government will ensure that the virus does not move forward for which the Government needs people tracing.
Stating that the Government will take care of everything for the patients who are inside Bethany hospital, Hek added that he is also in touch with the family members of the doctor.
According to sources, the family members of the doctor were ferried to NEIGRIHMS for testing and they will remain in quarantine.
Sources also said NEIGRIHMS has the capacity to test 100 patients every day and the State Government will also take the assistance of Assam for testing of samples as large number of people will now have to be tested.
Chief Secretary MS Rao said the family of the doctor has a travel history and it is not a case of community transmission.
Stating that health and district surveillance teams are working out the details of contact tracing, he said all those who visited Bethany Hospital even if they have not come into direct contact with the doctor should contact the health authorities immediately.
According to sources, the son-in-law of the 65-year-old doctor has a travel history as he is a pilot working with Air India.
A Government statement said that all residents of the State who may have visited Bethany Hospital in the city on or after March 22 or Bethany Hospital, Nongpoh on or after March 30 should immediately register themselves by calling 108, 1070 or visiting the link http://meghalayaonline.gov.in/covid/login.htm.
Stating that the Government is fully prepared to handle the situation, he said there is no need for the public to panic.
He, however, recommended that all residents of the State must use a protective two-layer cotton cloth material to cover nose, mouth and chin as a mask and follow the hand hygiene, cough etiquette and social distancing protocols.
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